Chevy's 2020 Corvette features Android Auto, NFC pairing, and 495 horsepower

Chevrolet this week unveiled the 2020 Corvette, an entirely new car rebuilt from the ground up. The Corvette — a storied sports car with decades of history — makes a generational leap for 2020 by moving the engine from the front to the middle. This will help it better compete with other mid-engined supercars.

The Corvette’s massive V8 engine isn’t the only thing pushing the car forward: Chevy upgraded the Vette with tons of tech to future proof the experience for years to come.

Chevy Corvette: The tech

The 2020 Chevy Corvette isn’t all fire-breathing muscle. It’s also a fighter-jet inspired tech haven. The wholly redesigned cockpit is entirely driver-centric and, as Michael Knight once said of K.I.T.T., it looks like Darth Vader’s bathroom.

An 8-inch color touch screen allows drivers to control nearly every facet of the car. It is based on Google’s Android Auto. The Corvette includes Bluetooth with NFC pairing. Simply hold your compatible phone (Android devices from BlackBerry, Google, LG, Samsung, Sony, and Xiaomi) near the volume knob and the phone will automatically pair with and connect to the car. Support for AT&T’s LTE 4G network is included, though a data subscription will carry a monthly fee. The Corvette has a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot and can accept software updates over-the-air.

A 1080p video camera captures driving experiences and a performance data recorder measures metrics, including start and stop times on various tracks around the world. Drivers can select from 12 different parameters to create their own driving modes, all of which are accessible with the touch of a button.

The instrument panel is a customizable 12-inch screen that works in concert with a heads-up display. It includes 3D enhanced navigation. Chevy tapped Bose for the 14-speaker sound system, which immerses the driver in their favorite tracks.

Chevy Corvette: The car

The Corvette has long been a V8-powered, rear-wheel-drive beast. According to Chevrolet executives, however, the company had pushed performance as far as it could go in that configuration. Chevy knew it needed to take a radical new approach to improve power, speed, and driving dynamics. Drawing from years of racing-inspired research in mid-engine designs, the 2020 Corvette adopts the mid-engine placement and launches a new era for the brand.

The car is centered on the 6.2L LT2 V8 power plant, which makes 495hp and 470lb-ft of torque. It is capable of rocketing from 0-60mph in under three seconds. That’s on par with Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and Porsches, all of which cost tens (if not hundreds) of thousands of dollars more.

Gone is the age-old manual transmission. It its place is a new dual-clutch, 8-speed automatic that Chevy says shifts faster than any human could throw the gear selector.

Thanks to the mid-engine design, the cabin is pushed 16.5 inches forward. This allowed Chevy to shorten the steering column and lower the cowl, which provides the driver with a much more direct view of and feel for the road. Chevy execs says the Corvette’s center of mass is now placed at the driver’s right hip, almost directly in the center of the car. This dramatically improves feedback for the driver, who has a more direct connection with the pavement.

The result of these changes is a car that’s more competitive and track ready than ever.

Pre-orders are open

The 2020 Chevy Corvette starts at less than n $60,000. The company is offering more exterior and interior color options than every before. Interested in the new Vette? You can configure your car now for delivery in early 2020. It’ll be quite an accessory for your phone.